Elevating With Helium

Managing security at the border might have aerial implications

By

May 01, 2016

It is well known airships had a more limited role in the late 20th century, following
the Hindenburg tragedy that coincided with tremendous innovation
in fixed-wing and passenger aviation. However, the airship and its tethered
cousin, the aerostat, are poised to fly much higher in the 21st century thanks
largely to recent lighter-than-air (LTA) aircraft and materials innovation,
and driven largely by geopolitical instability and the need for better threat detection,
vigilant security and rapid response coordination.

Increased non-combat domestic security challenges, efficient critical infrastructure
monitoring/survey, and bolstered civilian protection at major events are each
expected to drive increased use of LTA platforms even amid a proliferation of
fixed-wing and rotary UAVs. Why? LTA aircraft and systems are an increasingly
attractive alternative, especially for professionals challenged by longer mission duration
(vigilant/ persistent) and/or fiscal constraints. This is virtually SOP for those
serving in border security around the world. Don’t be surprised how much helium
elevates border and domestic security in the 21st century.

Helium, and the LTA assets it fills, may have been given only a passing thought
by many global security professionals and operators when examining border challenges
and border security enhancement in years past. However, this looks to be
changing. It is a reasonable expectation that LTA aircraft will be utilized in much
more U.S. and global border missions in the near future. LTA aircraft language
can now be seen within the FY2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
Bill, having undergone full committee mark-up. The Congressional Committee
has directed the Custom and Border Patrol’s Office of Air Management
(OAM) to investigate use and integration of commercially available services/aircraft
to complement existing border surveillance assets on the basis of feasibility
and cost effectiveness.

URGENT NEED FOR BORDER SURVEILLANCE ASSETS

Late last year Cem Dewilde authored an estimate that the Global Border Security
market “was valued at $16.4 billion in 2015, as high-demand for border protection
and surveillance continues.” The report summarized that “Global trends such as
an increased amount of refugee movements, continuing operations by international
criminal organizations and a resurgent political will to secure national borders
have all come together to drive strong growth in the border security market for
years to come.”

While security managers are aware of the benefits of elevated or airborne
systems for enhanced threat detection, ISR effectiveness, or extending communications
transmission, LTA and elevated systems are too often overlooked.
Managers either don’t understand recent LTA advancements and capabilities,
or don’t understand the cost advantages that can be realized, especially for persistent
“eye in the sky” missions. Today’s modern airships are highly mobile,
flexible, quiet and stable elevated sensor platforms, presenting extended timeon-
station and other advantages when delivering 360° perspective of the air and
ground environment.

Border security professionals readily appreciate the capabilities of fullyequipped
fixed wing and rotary ISR aircraft, but not the significant manpower
and acquisition/ sustaining costs associated with their flight operations. While
drones offer numerous opportunities for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) applications, there are instances in which drones are not practical because their costs,
or limited payloads that can’t accommodate the required
surveillance equipment, because they can’t
stay in the air long enough to accomplish vigilant
missions, or because of unresolved regulatory or
safety requirements.

ISTAR-enabled military drones are also highly
capable but costly, and often inappropriate politically
for domestic border or urban security missions.
Meanwhile smaller commercial UAVs are growing in
terms of popularity and capability, but typically present
SWaP (size, weight and power) challenges rendering
limited airborne support for border security.

Amid these challenges, LTA assets are increasingly
valuable for delivering actionable ISR intelligence
and security efficiency, for their rapid deployment
and unique flight capabilities, and for elevated cost
efficiency for persistent missions. Like other aircraft,
LTA assets can elevate radar, imaging systems, communications
equipment and other sensory technologies
that extend their range line of sight (LOS), integrating
with other systems when relaying intelligence
or communications data.

LTA systems are particularly appropriate for bolstering
border security for professionals like the CBP
in the United States in three main areas, while helping
to address operational shortcomings and cost overruns
stemming from use of UAV aircraft domestically.
They include: observation and detection capability
(ISR), capable of documenting chain of custody from
interdiction until adjudication, where needed; Panga
boat detection and tracking for interdiction support
efficiency and existing asset relief; and ultra-light aircraft
detection and designation, where appropriate.

On territorial borders, airships can aid with detecting
and tracking air and surface vessels supporting
interdiction, delivering high quality video with
recording (documentation) capability, and providing
regional monitoring and imaging capability with long
duration, in part from the unique flight characteristics
of LTA platforms. They can integrate advanced
radar systems, high definition multispectral imaging
(electro-optics, thermal imaging) electronic intelligence,
communications equipment or other payloads
up to one ton.

This provides long range threat detection and situational
awareness from an aerial perspective, day and
night, and enables signals intelligence (communications,
electronic, traffic analysis), all from a vehicle
that is remarkably landing site efficient. The airship
provides near vertical takeoff and landing performance
through incorporation of directionally controlled
engines (vectoring propulsion).

Flexible and multi-purpose, airships also have an
increasing role to play in maritime border security,
enhancing cost efficiency of littoral border patrol,
and search and rescue assistance outside the harbor
as well as security and operational support in port.

Airships will increase visual and sensor search
ranges of surface vessels offshore, for more cost-effective
standing patrols and vigilant security (force
multiplication), or extended piracy monitoring and
mitigation (vessel protection) capability. They can
help coordinate observation and appropriate response
for a variety of missions from anti-terrorism,
to smuggling interdiction and loss prevention, helping
to counter seaborne threats and interdict narcotics
smugglers. For example, airships can loiter along
coasts to detect and identify panga boats, micro subs
and other traffic, relaying to surface assets their location,
size, speed, and direction. They can also support
extending UAS/USV system operations.

In and around ports, an airship or tethered LTA
system (aerostat) can support area intrusion detection
and loss prevention, and may enhance operations efficiency.
And, if required, modern airships could deliver
visibility and asset vulnerability advantages as the
UUV compliment for ASW and MCM missions at sea.
Airships can tow submerged sonar or optic arrays and
reposition rapidly between listening positions, replacing
more expensive marine assets as the umbilical connected
parent in areas of uncontested airspace.

With a better understanding of why and how LTA
assets are likely to elevate border and domestic security
in the 21st century, let’s now explore the different
manned and unmanned elevated system capabilities by
looking at the recent product development within the
industry through one of its most innovative developers:

THE MODERN AIRSHIP – A VERSATILE
ASSET FOR ENHANCED BORDER
INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY

Current generation airships like those manufactured
by Aeros’ NADATS division (Aeros) in Southern
California have been re-designed to deliver much more
than aerial advertising and broadcast support. An airship’s
speed, mobile range and sensory/communication
payload accommodation create an efficient and
highly vigilant intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance
(ISR) platform that can be used to enhance border
security over land and sea. It also offers longer
time on station and slow and low flight capability, and
over border observation capability, while delivering:

Air and ground target identification and tracking,
using airborne radar with GMTI.

Aeros’ prior airship variants have successfully aided
smuggling interdiction missions by identifying and
documenting clandestine night beach drop locations,
as well as the highly coordinated but separate activities
of organized criminals and their contraband. The airships’
near-silent operations and on-scene duration capability
were key players in the success of the mission.

Unmanned and tethered, aerostats are aerodynamic
lighter-than-air platforms that provide ISR support
like a low-flying satellite system, but are much cheaper
to launch and operate, providing a constant eye in the
sky that can protect or inform other air and ground
personnel on the border. Aerostats can stay aloft for
weeks at a time through difficult weather before brief
maintenance interruption, compared to hours associated
with aircraft requiring aerodynamic lift.

The stationary, resilient capability of aerostats can
deliver persistent, wide-area situational awareness
where UAV solutions have disappointed. Aerostats
are ideal for mission surveillance when either rapid
deployment or persistent monitoring for days, weeks,
or months or years may be required.

In comparison, the Predator B drones now used on
the U.S. border were supposed to be airborne for 16
hours a day; however, a late 2014 DHS report showed
that the aircraft were only airborne for about 3.5 days
on average in 2013, and concluded that OAM should
reconsider the planned expansion of the program and
instead invest in manned aircraft and ground surveillance
alternatives. The audit estimated it cost $12,255
per flight hour to operate the program, and that the
CBP’s calculation of $2,468 per flight hour does not
include all operating costs.

The government of Ukraine and Aeros
are now working together to strengthen
wide area situational awareness capability
for the border protection agency
of Ukraine, delivering enhanced capabilities
for persistent air and surface
surveillance and target tracking/identification
with ground-based elevated
early warning systems (EEWS).

EEWS is an integrated border
surveillance system with expanded
capabilities for persistent air and surface
surveillance and target tracking/
identification, while addressing mission
duration and cost efficiency. The
system can detect aircraft, vehicles,
personnel and UAVs operating within
the air and surface environments, and
incorporates advanced radar technologies
from Selex ES, and imaging
technology from FLIR to track and
identify sea, air and land-based vehicles.
The EEWS systems integrate
numerous sensor packages including
AESA radar with ground-moving
target indication (GMTI) capability,
electro-optic and infrared HD imaging
system, and geo-locating moving map
software for empowerment and simplified
use by operators.

TRANSPORTABLE TACTICAL
TOWERS

Tactical towers are elevated, groundbased
systems that provide the benefits
of extended elevated perspective with
the lowest possible operating costs for
smaller payloads. These elevated systems
can deliver needed situational
awareness along the border for long
duration, supporting evidence collection
for prosecution.

Designed for easy assembly and
rapid relocation as threat perceptions
or needs change, they feature a scalable
design and simplified ground assembly,
and can carry 90Kg payloads
to 11 meters, 68Kg payloads to 18
meters or 45Kg to 29 meters. They are
scalable to different heights, can endure
almost any weather, and assemble
quickly on the ground with minimal
personnel before rotating vertically.
While capable of elevating military
ISTAR technology, towers are most
likely to support HD imaging, CCTV
cameras equipped with facial recognition/
OCR, communications and/or
acoustic monitoring systems for border
enforcement staff.

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Security Today.